How the mighty have fallen. About seven months ago, Rohit Sharma was the hero of the nation after finally bringing home a World Cup victory for India. Fast forward to November 19, 2023, and it was heartbreaking to see him struggle to keep his emotions in check as Australia defeated India in the ODI World Cup final on home soil. That emotional night in Ahmedabad was a testament to Rohit's incredible journey; he made a stunning comeback in a format where many thought he was done, ultimately lifting the trophy. He completely revamped his batting style, introducing a fresh, aggressive approach that both he and Indian cricket fans embraced at the age of 36.

But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Just two days into the new year, Rohit finds himself feeling alone, both literally and figuratively. For the past couple of months, he’s been out of sorts, struggling to find his rhythm, and now, for the first time in history, an Indian captain is set to be dropped from the Playing XI, especially in a Test series as significant as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The term 'rest' might just be a polite way of saying that Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian team, no longer has a spot in India's Test lineup.

When India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, dodged questions about Rohit's spot in the Playing XI, it pretty much confirmed what everyone was thinking. The growing rift and tension between the captain and coach only adds to the situation. According to a PTI report, Rohit and Gambhir didn’t even speak to each other the night before the match, keeping their distance on opposite sides of the field. When two chairs were set up for India's pre-match press conference, there was hope that Rohit and Gambhir would finally share the stage, like Rohit often does with Rahul Dravid. But, once again, it was just one of them. The drama around India's team selection hit a peak when Rohit and Gambhir completely avoided each other.

The PTI report noted, "Around 1:30 PM, Gautam Gambhir made his way to the center strip at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Jasprit Bumrah. A few minutes later, Rohit Sharma joined them, but there was barely any interaction between the head coach and the captain."

"Everyone at the SCG could see the communication gap between the skipper and the head coach. There were already plenty of signs, but the events on Thursday made it crystal clear: Rohit Sharma seems to be out of Gautam Gambhir’s plans after managing just one half-century in the second innings across eight Tests this season."

Rohit looks over at Jasprit Bumrah and Ajit Agarkar

Rohit was clearly feeling the weight of everything going on around him, but he found some comfort in vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah and BCCI selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar. Their relationship was supposed to be solid, with both Rohit and Gambhir repeatedly stating that they had a good rapport and were aligned since the coach took charge. However, recent events, like India's Test performances and some leaked heated discussions from the dressing room, suggest otherwise, and things seem to be taking a turn for the worse.

The day before the crucial series decider against Australia, Rohit appeared completely out of sorts. He emerged from the dressing room nearly 35 minutes after the other main batters and didn’t even have his kit with him. Dressed in a sweatshirt, he took to the crease, but what followed was tough to watch. For about 30 minutes, he struggled, missing straightforward deliveries that knocked his stumps. It was painful to see someone like Rohit, who usually thrives on having that extra moment, having such a hard time getting his bat down in time against T Dilip's throwdowns.

After his training session, Rohit, along with Bumrah and Agarkar, left the nets, while Gambhir chose to stick around. Reports suggest that during their post-training chat, they decided that Rohit would be 'rested,' which in the context of Indian cricket typically means he’s being dropped without a formal announcement.

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